Cartridge feeder and orienter



7, 1943. J. H. WOODBERRY CARTRIDGE FEEDER AND ORIENTER Filed Nov. 24, 1942 2" Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 17, 1943. J. H. WOODBERRY CARTRIDGE FEEDER AND ORIENTER Filed Nov. 24, 1942 2 Sheets$heet 2 zlwucnhw John H- Wundherry Patented Aug. 17, 19 43 umTeosrAr TENT Q-FFI CEZI h .'2,326,816fa it 1 V CARTRIDGEFEEDERAND ORlENTER- s '7 V r John Woodberry,

Application Nov m er 24,-1942. sa 1-; 466 ,8251

' V (Granted nnder the actof:

The invention described herein may be manuf faotured and used by or for the Governmentfor left edge (as viewedin Fig. 3)' by rivets 'oroth erl' governmental purposes, without the payment to I me of any royalty thereon. I I

This invention relates toa mechanism forremoving cartridges singly from' a' hopperlinto which they have been :thrown irrespective of their orientationi. e., thedirection in which the projectile end points-and feeding them with a. V

predetermined orientation. In the accompany ing drawings, 1

Fig. 1 is a top view of a machine employing a plurality of improved feeding" and orienting mechanisms; 5 r v a Fig. 2 is a top View, in'enlarged'scale of "a single one of the said mechanisms;

Fig. 3 is' an elevational section thereof 'ta k'en on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view similar to only a portion thereof, and with certain of parts in difierent positionfl- Fig. 5 is a vertical 5--5 of Fig. 3;"

Fig. 6 is a horizontalsection al view on the line" I 5 6 ofFig.3;

Fig, 7'is an elevational 's'ecti '3li'butshowing a'modified form;

Fig. 8 is a bottom viewof. the 'rnodifi'ed for Fig; 7, and

Fig. 9 is a bottom View of the slide minbfe rgf;

Figs. 7, 8.-

' The machine I (designated A, B, C, D and E), of the-novel feederorienter of this invention, although "itiis clear that a single unit, or a di iferent 'nuIriber than shown, may be .used. The cartridges are thrown; g

promiscuously into hopper l0 (seeespecially Fig sectional view on the line:

shown-in FigQ-L'has five innit s" web plate 22 is'pr'ovided witha centrally-located Fig. '3' butfshowingf 3), i.'e.,' with the projectile end of the cartridges 7 pointing in either direction (nnoriente'dfr tisf the function of the meohanis'rn to be described to remove the 'cartridgessingly from hopper IE! (or the plurality-of hoppers I0,i-Fi g 1-) an d'to feed' V double ."bevel portion l6, I I is .not released -'(to" 4=0v the single cartridge with its projectile endpointed in a predetermined direction (oriented) The; hopper is; provided with a breast plate II} which causes the cartridges tobecome stacked in the well l2 of the hopper. The bottom oi -well His closed bya floor-plate M-therright edge of: which I (as viewed in Fig. 3) extends to provide a ledge l4 somewhat wider than. the largest cartridge diameter. The front plate I5 of .the'hoppen is open at its lower portion-toprovide a mouth a, Fig. 3, considerably wider than the largest car tridge diameterz The bottommost cartridges. in hopper welllZ are prevented from falling-'outof' the fixedlcentral stopll8;v v a 1 M.JThe":right portion; of. thepspring plate. is) V formed with adouble bevelpprojectioncomprisingf extent .;of* sliding movementtowards andlaway; 3 from; the hopper;l9,-" .Slidemembe'rillfis con-e.,

V tojits fleftmost. position (shown ini. F V In reaching'its leftmostposition, thelead ng geof' f and the restiof the stack. The. platei material iof W be'brought'to'bea r betweeii the distal ends o fgth iweb'plates 2l- -22 to firmly 'graspthe lowermost: cartridge Min the manner of.tongsj. As theslide "The lower web 21' bf the to s l h a e i forgafixed stop lt projectin'gnipwardat one end 7 -dersid'e-of floor plate 44; The tongued stop 23f of the tong slide=2fl 'isintheformofa bridgeor March 3, 1883, Y s

theihopper by a spring plate I 3 'sec'ured. alongiits 1 V fasteners l3a,"t o the underside'of the floor:p1ate. V

a steep bevel i 6 whichofor ms; astoplatj the'mouth f a. and abevel IL of less slope 'forminga; lipiat the;distaledgeof.spring'platel3. 1;

. In'front ofmouth a (tothe-right'iin Fig, 3)

a ,Inember- 28 mounted on floor plate 14 for an:

Venie'ntlymade froma: singlepiece ofispringy i plate bent-in the formbf an; elongated U-comep 1 prising an'upper web 2| and a lower-web 22. "I'he;.-1 distal edge (left,asiviewed in-';Fig.,.3) of lower' f (see7Fig.-' 2). stop lug 23,-tonguedfout"of the plate.

l3 to depress the'plate to the position?'shown in .Fig. 4, to permit .th jsli dememb'erifl tocon-tinue upper web 21 of. slide memberglzityinserts {itself between the lowermostpartridge;M.-.oi;therstack Whichslide 19 is fabricatedgis}preferablyrspring plate and the U -shape of the'slid'efis 'madensnffief cientlyi elongated; so that;- sufti'cient pressure wi 20 1s returned (rightwardlih'iFigsi 3-;4) QtheLcar-*- be carried withit and:withdrawnfromithestacks' It should be observed; best from'oFig. 4; that; the;

sprin'g upwardlyr untilfafter the distal.edge of: v the plates'2i1i22-iand also the gripped. cartridge j M, have passed tothe'right .thereofr. 5:5 3?

trallyflocated cut-outiorfrecess iflsopjenatthe leading: (or left) edg',.- which provides clearance of a'stripflfl secured at itsother end toEthe-Iuna inverted-U; see Fig; 5; t0 DrQvide"clearanoe'ior Aston'g' slide ;2 flreturns rightward, witliarcartridge (designated N inFig. 3) graspedbetween its tong tplates '2i-'-22,* the cartridge.'N,. ;more particularly, a central point thereof;- contacts; of

clination and serving to close the said opening and the distal bevel forming a lip of less inclination, a slide member in the form of an elongated-U excursionable towards and away from the hopper, the edge ofthe lower web of the slide member being adapted to cam the said lip of the spring plate downwardly to depress the: a

said closing bevel away from the said opening tridge at the distal endsof the webs against the said central stop whereby the gripped-cartridge is removedrearwardly'with the slidejmember, a

stop fixed to the machine frame, whereby as the silde member is withdrawn aicentral point of the said gripped cartridge contacts the said fixed stop to turn the cartridge on its largest, primer hopper and provided with a double bevel upward projection, the proximal bevel serving rto close end to point the projectile end foremost, a; pair 5 of fixed stops one at each side of the sliding member and positioned to the rear of the said central i fixed stop and. adapted to be' contacted by "the primer end of the said gripped and turned car-{'- tridge, to push the said cartridge off the slide member with its projectile end pointed forwardly.

4. In a device for feeding and orientingcaref tridges with their projectile ends pointed in a 7 predetermined direction, in combination; fZIJhOP-E' per for dis-oriented cartridges-the frontpv'all of r the hopper being providedwith aILop eningQ a spring plate secured to the underside of the hop- :1

per and provided with a doublebevel upward projection, the proximal bevel servingtoclosethe said opening and the distal bevel forming a lip,/

a slide member in the form of an elongated-ll excursionable towards and. away fromfthe said;

hopper, the edge of thellower web of thiefslide'.

member being adapted to cam the said lip ofthe spring plate downwardly to depress the said clos most cartridge in the hopper and those above it;

the lower web being provided with a centrally lo- 1 cated stop set back from its edge a distance com'f i mensurate with the cartridge-diameter, thefisaid U-shaped slide member being made of s'pringy plate to grip thesaid lowermostrcartridge'at the distal ends of the webs against the 'said'central stop whereby the gripped cartridge is removed rearwardly with the slide member, the lowe'rweb being provided with a centrally located-recess, a stop fixed to the machine frame and project- 4 ed forwardly.

'edforwardly. v V g 5. Ina device forgfeeding and orienting car- Y tridges with their projectile ends pointed in a a predetermined direction, in combination, a'jhop-j,

perfor receiving dis-oriented cartridges and; I .t

provided with a well designed to receivea single sack of cartridges, the front, wallof the hopper being provided at the said well with an opening, 1

and turned cartridge,1t'o;push the said cartridge ofl theslide member withits projectile endpointa spring plate secured to th'e'underside' of the 25 i the {saidv opening and "the distal bevel forming a x lip, azslide' member in the form oflan elongated 'U-excursionable towardsand away from thejsaid" w hoppenwell, the edgeof the lower wieblof thle' slidemember being adapted to cam the said; lip

of the spring platedownwardlyto'depress the,

said closing bevel away from the said well openeing, the leading portion of the upper'web of the slide-member being adapted to insert itself 'be- I tween}the lowermost cartridge'in the well and V 7 35 i'those: above it,.-the lower web being provided with f a' centrally'located stop set back from its edge I a distance'pommensurate with the cartridge die I; V a f ametenfthe said U-shaped slide member being V g 'i madeofispringy plate to grip the said lowermost 1 j wcartridge. at the distaliends of'the webs against f" the said" central stop whereby the gripped car tridge is removed rearwardly' with "the slide member, the lower web being provided fwith a cen trallylocated recess, a'stop'fixed to. the machine 'framef and projecting ';through' the said recess,

whereby} as theslide' member is withdrawn a central=point 'of-the-said gripped cartridge contacts theisaid fixed stop to turn the, cartridgefod its largest, primer end to pointthe,proje ctilemnd foremost,- g' air of fixedstops'one. atiea;clifsi'de of the sliding member and- 'po sitionedto the-rearr of the said centralfixed stop ,and 'adaptedlto be 1 contacted by the primer end of the said gripped]; wand turned cartridge; to push the said cartridgef off the slide member with its projectile end point: 7

7 ing through the said recess, the said central stop of the lower webs being in the form of an inverted y i U -bridge to provide clearance for the said fixed a stop, whereby as the slide member is withdrawn a central point of the said gripped cartridge contacts the said fixed stop toturn the cartridge on its largest, primer endto point the projectile'end v i foremost,"a pair of fixed stops one at each side 3 of the'sliding member andjpositionedto the rear 1 of the; said central fixed stop andadapted to be f contacted by the primer end'of the said gripped JOHN fiwoonesaarg CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent 2,526,816. ug 17, 9 w- JOHN H. WOODBERRY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as-follows: Page 1, sec- 0nd column, line 55, for "contacts of" read contacts the-; page 5, first column, line 5, claim 5, before hopper insert -said-; and second column, line 20, claim 5, for "sack" read -stack-; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 114th day of September, A. D. 19 I-5 Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No, 2,526,816, August 17, 1911.5.

JOHN H. WOODBERRY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction asfollows: Page 1, second column, line 55, for contacts of" read -contacts the-; page 5, first column, line 5, claim 5, before hopper insert said; and second column, line 20, claim 5, for "sack" read --stack-; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 114th day of September, A. D. l9lp5 Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

